The ongoing labor dispute between King Soopers and its workers escalated Tuesday as the grocery chain filed for a temporary restraining order against its striking employees — just days after the grocery store giant filed a lawsuit against the union.
A judge has not ruled yet on the restraining order, but the grocery chain says it has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. This is not the first time King Soopers has filed for a restraining order against striking workers. In 2022, the grocery store giant was granted a restraining order against workers two weeks into a union strike.
According to a statement released by King Soopers, safety concerns were among the top reasons for seeking the newest restraining order.
“The safety of our associates, customers, and community members is our top priority,” Joe Kelley, the president of King Soopers, said in a statement. “For the more than 50 percent of customers who continue to depend on us for access to fresh food, essentials and prescriptions from our pharmacies, we have a responsibility to ensure they can safely access our stores. At the same time, we want to provide a safe environment for those participating in the work stoppage. We know the only place this work stoppage is resolved is at the bargaining table and remain open to meeting with the UFCW Local 7.”
The request for a restraining order cites “multiple incidents” of picketers preventing and physically blocking customers from entering stores, picketers falsely telling customers that the stores were closed, and says picketers are causing “fire hazards” by using portable heaters near store entrances.
It also references a Denver Judge’s decision in 2022 to grant the grocery store chain a restraining order against the union — citing that the judge granted the decision for customer safety.
The request for the restraining order, among other things, seeks to limit picketers outside its stores to six at a time and asks a judge to bar them from blocking entrances to the stores and parking lots.
But the union representing the workers, UFCW Local 7, condemned the move as an attempt to silence and intimidate picketers.
“The Company is asking a court to stop striking workers from doing what striking workers do: picketing in front of their workplaces and speaking with one voice, a voice that the company is currently stifling by refusing to negotiate in good faith,” the union said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We were on the strike lines today, we will be on the strike lines tomorrow, and we continue to urge King Soopers to stop these unfair labor practices,” said the union’s president, Kim Cordova.
